why the group stands against the United
States’ involvement in Syria.
dailyorange.com

SU student in Arts and Sciences dies at NJ family home
By Annie Palmer
ASST. NEWS EDITOR

A Syracuse University student in
the College of Arts and Sciences
died Monday.

Emma Wozny, a junior psychology and neuroscience major, died
at her family’s home in New Jersey, Chancellor Nancy Cantor said
in an email to SU students, faculty

and staff.
The cause of death was not immediately clear.
Wozny was a Verona, N.J., native
who was a staff writer for The Daily

Orange. In Fall 2012, she spent the
semester studying abroad in Spain
with the SU Madrid program, according to Cantor’s email.
Said Cantor in the email: “During

Mind on the money

With rising student debt rates, more students receive financial aid
71% OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS RECEIVE SOME
FORM OF FINANCIAL AID, RECEIVING AN AVERAGE OF

$23,966

a year.

71% of undergraduate students receive
aid through grants from Syracuse
University, receiving an average of

26% of undergraduate students receive
aid through grants from the federal
government, receiving an average

25% of undergraduate students
receive aid from Pell Grants,
receiving an average of

22% of undergraduate students
receive aid from the state/local
government, receiving an average of

a year.

a year.

a year.

$21,412 $5,108 $4,319 $2,950
a year.

This information is from the 2011-2012 academic school year, which is the most up-to-date information from the office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs.

relations and anthropology

around a campus this big, you

their adult lives, even with

STAFF WRITER

major at Syracuse University.

feel like there aren’t people

assistance from their schools

hen Imani Howard

“Both of my parents are still

going through the same thing.”

to manage tuition costs.

began applying to

paying loans.”

By Nicki Gorny

W

With the cost of higher

President Barack Obama

colleges as a high

But a combination of grants

education rising more than

highlighted these concerns

school student in Orlando, Fla.,

and scholarships made SU,

250 percent in the past three

during his recent trip through

she barely took in the price tags

the most expensive school she

decades, according to White

Central New York, unveiling

attached to her four choices.

applied to, turn out to be the

House statistics, Howard isn’t

proposals such as a plan to link

cheapest. Her two on-campus

alone. Like the rest of the

federal aid to universities’ per-

jobs also ease the cost.

country, loans taken out by

formances.

She knew the numbers – and
the student loan debt they represented – would send her into
a panic.

“If I didn’t have aid and

SU students average into the

Across the United States,

scholarships, I would not be

thousands annually. The sub-

41.8 percent of undergraduate

“I was terrified,” said How-

going to school,” she said, add-

sequent debt can make college

students rely on some form of

ard, now a junior international

ing, “When you’re walking

graduates struggle to start

SEE HIGHER EDUCATION PAGE 8

this very difficult time, our hearts
go out to Emma’s family, friends, colleagues, and the faculty and staff who
knew her.”
apalme05@syr.edu

SU alumnus
remembered
for kindness
By Alfred Ng
ASST. NEWS EDITOR

For months, Jeff Russ had been planning to go to Electric Zoo, the electronic dance music festival in New
York City.
Russ, 2012 Syracuse University
graduate, had gone to almost all the
major EDM festivals, his sister
Melissa Russ said. His most recent
road trip for electronic music was on
Labor Day weekend, when Russ had
travelled to Randall’s Island in New
York City.
“He and his friends had been
counting down for months,” said
Melissa Russ. “He was very excited.”
Russ died Aug. 31 after attending
the Electric Zoo music festival, leading to the cancellation of the last day
of the festival.
He had attended the event with
several of his fraternity brothers
from Sigma Chi and friends from
Rochester, the New York Times
reported.
“We’re very saddened by what
transpired. It’s obviously a tragic loss
and we’re sorry for that,” said Hank
Suominen, president and treasurer
of the Metropolitan Syracuse Sigma
Chi Alumni Association. “Everybody referred to him as a gentle spirit
with a big heart, and a friend that
was always available. I understood
him to be a very well-regarded guy
in the fraternity. We extend our condolences to his family for their loss.”
Russ’s death has devastated the
Sigma Chi chapter at SU, said
Michael Dunn, executive director
of the Sigma Chi International

SEE RUSS PAGE 7

S TA R T W E D N E S D A Y

2 Sep t em ber 4 , 2 013

WEATHER
TODAY

TOMORROW

TOMORROW

FRIDAY

ONLINE POLL

NEWS

A WEEKLY DAILYORANGE.COM POLL

Turn up the music
H77| L54

H61| L46

H70| L54

ONLINE
Liberal columnist David Swenton
discusses why New York state should
uphold the ban on hydrofracking.
See dailyorange.com

VOTE
What’s the most exciting part
about this year’s Juice Jam?
A. The artists
B. The festival-style environment
C. The other fun activities
D. Just being with friends
Vote online at dailyorange.com!

RESULTS
What’s the most exciting part about
this year’s Juice Jam?
Results
% OF VOTE

CHOICE

57%

The artists

29%
14%

Just being with friends
The festival-style environment

WEDNESDAY

september 4, 2013

NEWS

PAGE 3

the daily orange

univ ersit y union

21 Pilots to
perform at
SU Oct.3
By Natsumi Ajisaka
ASST. NEWS EDITOR

drew osumi | staff photographer
JERRY WEAST speaks at the School of Education’s “The Landscape of Urban Education” series on his past experience as superintendent of
Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. He spoke about fixing achievement gaps between different income and racial groups.

school of education

Former educator discusses issues with public schools
By Ellen Meyers
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

What Jerry Weast saw during his
time in Montgomery County, Md.,
suggested that something was wrong.
Certain groups of students weren’t
doing as well as others. Further, the

gap in achievement seemed to fall
along racial and economic lines. So
for 12 years, he worked to correct it.
Weast was the first lecturer of
this year’s Landscape of Urban
Education Lecture series in the
School of Education.

He discussed his 35-year experience as a school superintendent,
speaking specifically about his time
with Montgomery County Public
Schools in Maryland Tuesday night.
During his career, he saw a gap in
academic performance between poor

or minority students and wealthier,
white students. The 12 years he spent
working to close this gap was the
focus of his talk.
“In this locality, what I found is
that some of the wealthiest people in

One new cabinet member was elected
and three others were confirmed at
the Student Association’s second
meeting of the year.
“A common thread I’ve seen
among these new appointees is that
they’re all very dedicated and enthusiastic,” SA President Allie Curtis
told the assembly. “They have an
immense amount of enthusiasm and
positive energy.”
The meeting took place in the
Life Sciences Complex. Though it
was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.,
the meeting was delayed half an
hour to allow the assembly to reach
a quorum, or the number of people
required to have a vote.

The four cabinet members filling
new positions mentioned initiatives
they had in mind, which included
diversity issues, creating a Health
Services Advisory Board, and
improving the relationship between
SU and State University of New York
College of Environmental Science
and Forestry. The assembly also
passed a bill allowing startup money
for new student organizations.
The cabinet proceedings began
with the assembly electing Dan Hernandez as Chair of the Board of Elections and Membership.
Hernandez, a junior English education major, said he wanted to focus
on retaining members, and making
sure members know what is expected

SEE SA PAGE 7

morgan edgecomb | contributing photographer
ALLIE CURTIS presides over a Student Association meeting, as the
assembly confirmed and elected candidates to fill the cabinet.

Alternative pop duo Twenty One
Pilots will perform at Syracuse
University’s homecoming show
this year.
Twenty One Pilots will perform
in Goldstein Auditorium on Oct. 3.
Doors will open at 7 p.m. and the
concert will start at 7:30 p.m. University Union plans to announce an
opening act at a later date, according to a Sept. 3 UU news release.
Tickets will go on sale at the
Schine Box Office on Sept. 4. Tickets will cost $10 for SU and State
University of New York College of
Environmental Science and Forestry students. Alumni and faculty
can buy tickets for $12.
The homecoming show is part
of Orange Central 2013, which is
hosted by UU and the Traditions
Commission.
Twenty One Pilots features
Tyler Joseph as lead singer and
Josh Dun as drummer. The duo

A reasonable person could conclude Jim Boeheim was asserting
facts when he said the two former
ball boys who claimed Bernie Fine
sexually abused them were liars
and trying to get money — that’s
part of what the lawyer for Mike
Lang and his stepbrother, Bobby
Davis, argued in a court brief about
appealing the dismissal of their
defamation suit against Boeheim
and Syracuse University.
The appeal was argued on Tuesday in an intermediate state appellate court.
But a decision will be made at a
later date.
The next proposed decision
release date is Sept. 27, according to
the court’s website.

SEE APPEAL PAGE 8

4 sep t em ber 4 , 2 013

opinion@ da ilyor a nge.com

Dogs should be leashed, controlled in Thornden Park to avoid potential attacks
Thornden Park is a beautiful city park that
is used and enjoyed by the whole community.
Earlier this week, I was walking my dog with
two of my grandchildren. As we were passing the athletic field, I noticed a young lady
letting her dog out of a parked Audi and I told
her to put her dog on a leash. No response
from her, but the young male driver of the car
told me to mind my own business.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

My response was that dogs are supposed
to be leashed and that is the law. He again
rudely told me to mind my own business. The couple were SU students.
We proceeded to walk to the pond and the
rose garden passing other people who were

walking dogs with a leash protecting both
their dogs and other dogs and children.
I have personally experienced several
attacks on my dog by unleashed canines. It
is a very frightening and dangerous experience that I don’t wish on anyone.
You may think you know your dog, but
they are reactive animals that need to be
guided by thinking owners. The bottom line

is that you, the owner, are responsible for
what your dog does. The leash law is in force
in Syracuse.
Please respect the community, the people
and parks so that we all can enjoy the experience without worrying about uncontrolled
dogs and unthinking owners.

Lorraine Marvins

SYRACUSE RESIDENT

ANSWER Coalition lacks awareness; on-campus efforts prove disrespectful
To my dismay, I came across the post by Derek
Ford, representing the ANSWER Coalition, in
which he made an unlettered argument against
the United States involvement in Syria.
It misleadingly began with the claim that
the U.S. had been “openly seeking to overthrow” the despotic regime in Syria. Anyone
with even a mild understanding of the developments in Syria knows that the U.S. government
has consistently delayed arming the rebels in
any serious manner, only recently determining
to offer some military aid.
Of course, the already prevalent Russian
and Iranian intervention for Assad, both militarily and diplomatically, goes unmentioned.
As does the Hezbollah militia, which openly
admit they are fighting on the ground with
Assad’s forces.
Derek goes on to discuss a chemical attack
in May, again neglecting the more recent one
in which 1,400 people were killed by Assad, saying the United Nations found evidence of rebels

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
using chemical weapons. False. Carla Del
Ponte, a lady who, coincidentally, has been
investigated for tampering with evidence and
bribing witnesses, made the claim. The U.N.
immediately issued a statement following Del
Ponte’s remarks to clarify that they had no
conclusive evidence as to who was at fault.
I don’t know how many members of the
ANSWER Coalition speak Arabic, have been to
the Middle East, or know of its vastly intricate
political landscape. But it would appear from
their vulgar posturing that, at the least, they
are deeply uninformed. I recently returned
from Beirut, where I spent time with Syrian
refugees. Some indicated they wanted the U.S.
to get involved and some indicated that they
didn’t. What was clear, however, was that most
of them had faced profound suffering, either

directly or indirectly, at the hands of Assad’s
brutal campaign.
It should be noted how disrespectful it is
when ANWER drapes a banner on the Syracuse campus in “solidarity with the Syrian
Arab Republic,” in essence asking that Syracuse students defend a tyrant in his battle to
remain in power. For these groups, the struggle
of a people for freedom is reduced to nothing
more than a “U.S. conspiracy” as I’ve recently

written about.
I only urge that when you come across
these groups on campus, with their impassioned choruses and catchy slogans, that you
take a leaf let from them, return home and
research their f limsy claims. The f limsiest
of which being that they “stand with the Syrian people.”

Talal Alyan,

ALUMNUS CLASS OF 2013

THE DAILY ORANGE LETTERS POLICY

To have a letter to the editor printed in The Daily Orange, please follow the following guidelines:

• Limit your letter to 400 words. Letters must be submitted by 4 p.m. the day prior to
when you would like it to run. The D.O. cannot guarantee publication if it is submitted
late.
• Include your full name, year and major; year of graduation; or position on campus. If
you are not affiliated with SU, please include your town of residence.
• Include a phone number and e-mail address where you can be reached.
• Letters must be emailed to opinion@dailyorange.com

OPINIONS

WEDNESDAY

september 4, 2013

PAGE 5

the daily orange

IDE AS

Congress should not authorize strike on
Syria; positive results not guaranteed
It is hypocritical to fight bloodshed with bloodshed.
On Tuesday, top lawmakers,
including Republicans John
Boehner and John McCain, met
with President Barack Obama and
confirmed their support for military action in Syria following the
country’s use of chemical weapons. This means the United States
is one step closer to striking the
regime of President Bashar alAssad. All that stands between
Obama and military action is
congressional approval.
The majority of The Daily
Orange Editorial Board agreed that
Congress should not authorize a
strike on Syria because of the country’s use of chemical weapons.
Striking Syria does not
guarantee positive results. The
situation is reminiscent of past
overseas military debacles, like
those in Iraq and Afghanistan,

EDITORIAL
by the daily orange
editorial board
which have left Americans with a
bad taste on their tongues.
The government should carefully consider the fact that this
strike could lead to another war
for the country.
There are too many uncertainties surrounding Syria for
Americans to support a strike.
Rumors remain about who
actually used chemical weapons
in Syria. Some reports say it
was not Assad who issued the
chemical weaponry, but outside
sources, like Saudi Arabia.
How can Obama strive for
support for a strike when there
remains uncertainty about the
source of the chemical weapons?
It is crucial to consider immediate alternative solutions to end

the killings in Syria. Several
weeks ago, more than 1,400
Syrian citizens were murdered
by chemical warfare, more
than 400 of them children. It
is morally irresponsible not to
step in and help the country’s
people. However, a more peaceful
approach is necessary.
Until Americans know all of
the details about Syria and the
government provides greater
transparency about its plan to
strike, Obama should refrain
from striking Syria.
Before more blood is shed,
Obama should consider a wellrounded lineup of options to end
the slaughter in Syria.
The situation in Syria must
come to an end, but using violence to curb violence is not the
correct immediate solution to
the problem.

SCRIBBLE

women a nd gender

University setting demands movement for inclusion, tolerance among students

S

eptember marks three years
since a particularly dark time
for lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender youth in the United
States. We need to reflect on the past
so we can move forward and prevent
future tragedies.
In September 2010, Rutgers
University student Tyler Clementi
jumped off the George Washington
Bridge after his roommate exposed
his sexual encounters with another
man using a hidden webcam, making a mockery of Clementi and his
sexual orientation.
The same month Clementi died, at
least four more gay teenagers committed suicide after being harassed by
their peers, both in person and online.
These stories went viral, leading to
support campaigns such as the It Gets
Better Project, aimed to create and
inspire changes to make life easier for
LGBT teens.
It’s important to lend support
News Editor
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to LGBT individuals, but also we
need to tackle the root of the problem: the bullies.
College is the first time many
people are exposed to others different than themselves. Therefore, it’s
extremely important for universities
to encourage students to accept all
sexualities and gender identities, as
well as maintain a zero-tolerance
policy for harassment and bullying.
It’s not easy to enact anti-bullying
rules on a college campus, which is
populated by young adults, rather
than children. But name-calling and
intolerance doesn’t stop after middle
school. It can get worse as time goes
on, especially with an increasing
amount of social media platforms that
allow for verbal bullying.
If students are expected to be
sensitive and understanding, however, these types of tragedies should
never happen.
Thankfully, Syracuse University

head over heels
has resources and programs that echo
this mindset.
The university’s STOP Bias campaign encourages students to open
their minds to create a safe and inclusive environment on campus. The latest incarnation of the movement was
created a little more than two years
ago. It provided the SU community
with resources to help those who have
been affected by bias incidents on and
around campus.
The LGBT Resource Center, a partner with the campaign, also embodies
awareness, community and social justice on campus. It offers services for
those with marginalized genders and

sexualities with programs, dialogue
and education.
The Princeton Review, a college
admissions consulting company,
released its list of the 20 most LGBTfriendly colleges and universities in
the United States in August. SU didn’t
make the list, so there is room for
improvement – and we can all do our
part to contribute.
Certain celebrities have proven
themselves as allies, and are
using their platforms as a way to
enlighten fans.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, for
example, just won an MTV Video
Music Award for the Best Video with
a Social Message for their hit song
“Same Love,” which featured openly
lesbian singer Mary Lambert. The
lyrics point out how LGBT people
are treated unfairly by individuals,
the hip-hop genre and our legal
systems, and calls for overall acceptance and equality.

The duo will perform in the Carrier Dome in November. This activism
through music and arts is certainly
welcome on our campus.
The fight against LGBT bullying
cannot be one-sided. It is not only
up to the targeted individuals to
combat bias – everyone can be an
ally. We need to remember the tragic
suicides that have resulted from
homophobia, and always keep in
mind how harmful intolerant words
and actions can be.
With the beginning of a new school
year, it’s crucial for SU students to
embrace all forms of diversity. It’s
necessary to respect our friends,
roommates, professors and anyone
else we meet.
We, as students, have the power to
control the attitude of our campus –
we can’t let it be one fueled by hate.
Laura Cohen is a junior magazine
journalism and women’s and gender studies major. Her column appears weekly.
She can be reached at lgcohen@syr.edu.
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Michael Hu

he Onondaga County crime lab was
recently awarded more than $300,000 to
help clear the DNA backlog and expedite
the forensic analysis process for pending
cases with a grant secured by a Syracuse
congressman.
A $239,273 grant was given to the Onondaga
County crime lab from the U.S. Department of
Justice as part of the DNA Backlog Reduction
Program, according to a press release by the
office of U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei (D-NY). An additional grant of $75,000 was also given to the
county through the Paul Coverdell Forensic
Science Improvement Grants.
The Paul Coverdell grant is awarded by
the Office of Justice Programs. The extra
funds are intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science for the
lab’s research. The grant can also be used to
train and hire forensic laboratory employees
to help expedite forensic evidence analysis,
according to the National Institute of Justice’s website.
“Our local law enforcement agencies utilize DNA technology and forensic science to
keep our communities safe,” Maffei said in
the release. “I’m proud to partner with Onondaga County Executive Mahoney to ensure
that we keep our communities safe.”

SA

FROM PAGE 3

of them.
“I want to make sure everyone is educated
and let people know what they can and can’t
do,” Hernandez said. “I want to set the proper
expectations about rules so candidates have all
the info they need, and so we can avoid as much
confusion as possible.”
Curtis told the assembly she believed Hernandez would be able to improve on membership, but also foster a community among
assembly members.
Taylor Bold, a senior policy studies and
economics major, was confirmed as the Chair
of the Academic Affairs Committee.
Bold’s goals for the position included the
creation of a minor in Arabic by the University,
as well as smaller initiatives such as creating a
study space for first-year students.
Curtis said Bold has passion and enthusiasm, which she said are important for pursuing
long and daunting initiatives.

luke rafferty | video editor
The Wallie Howard, Jr. Center for Forensic Sciences was awarded several grants. With more than $300,000 provided, the grant
helped remove DNA backlog in forensic evidence analysis and improved the quality. The grant was secured by Rep. Dan Maffei.
DNA and forensic evidence backlog can
slow down the process of crime management
for law enforcement agencies, Maffei said.
By eliminating forensic evidence backlogs,
he said, the grant should allow forensic
science services to improve efficiency when
analyzing forensic evidence.
The Wallie Howard Jr. Center for Forensic
Sciences, which is overseen by the Onondaga County Health Department, handles the
forensic analysis for city and county cases.

After Bold, the assembly confirmed Nia
Boles as Chair of the Student Engagement
Committee.
Boles is a junior psychology and neurosci-

“SU and ESF share a
campus and sometimes
[ESF students] don’t feel as
at home as they should. ”
Nia Boles

CHAIR OF THE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT COMMIT TEE

ence major. One of her main goals, she said, is
to focus on diversity issues on campus, including the relationship between SU and the State
University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
“SU and ESF share a campus and sometimes [ESF students] don’t feel as at home as
they should,” Boles said. “They need to feel
just as welcome and just as at home as an SU
student.”

“This funding will be used to reduce the
DNA backlog and improve the quality and
timeliness of forensic science services in
Onondaga County,” Maffei said.
The Syracuse Police Department accused
the lab of the improperly treating evidence,
with at least eight homicide investigations
botched as a result of their mishandling during the last seven years, according to an Aug.
27 article from The Post-Standard.
The state inspector general offered a

The assembly confirmed Patricia D’Amore, a
senior international relations major, as Chair of
the Student Life Committee.
In addition to continuing the advisory board
with the Department of Public Safety and the
Food Advisory Board, D’Amore said she hopes
to implement a Health Services Advisory Board
this semester.
After voting on each of the four appointees, the committee voted on a bill that
established seed funding, or startup money,
for newly created student organizations. The
bill, which originally allocated $250 in seed
funding, was amended to give $500 in seed
funds to new organizations. The assembly
then passed the bill.
Curtis gave her president’s report at the end
of the meeting, which included details from the
ACC Presidents Conference. Curtis said the
conference focused on national student issues,
something SA hasn’t had as much emphasis on.
Said Curtis: “I think that’s the missing
component of what truly makes us defenders of
the students.”
blsamuel@syr.edu

rebuttal to SPD’s claims, saying Syracuse
police did not fully understand crime lab
procedures, according to the article.
Sgt. Tom Connellan said that the Onondaga County’s evidence lab was a “completely
separate entity” outside of the Syracuse
police’s jurisdiction, adding that the forensics lab’s financial boost was unrelated to
the city police’s investigations.
acptachi@syr.edu

RUSS

FROM PAGE 1

Fraternity.
“There’s that feeling of invincibility when
you’re young. The stark reality of someone
passing away is shocking,” he said. “[Sigma
Chi] is going through a very tough time, and
on behalf of all the fraternity, our thoughts
and prayers go out to his family and to those
friends and relatives that he’s touched in his
short lifetime.”
Popular EDM artists had also sent their
condolences to Russ’ family on Twitter, such as
Tiesto, Krewella and Dada Life, the same musicians Jeff Russ had looked forward to seeing at
the music festival.
Russ’ sister, Melissa Russ, said SU was very
important to him.
“He loved SU,” she said. “All the friends and
the times he had there were very important to
him. It was the best years of his life.”
alng@syr.edu

8 sep t em ber 4 , 2 013

news@ da ilyor a nge.com

HIGHER EDUCATION
FROM PAGE 1

student loans, according to the most recent 20112012 school year statistics from the National
Center for Education Statistics.
According to SU’s Office of Financial Aid
and Scholarship Programs, this number is 60
percent at SU.
For each student, these loans average $7,885
a year at SU and $7,100 each year nationally,
according to the same organizations.
In New York, college graduates shouldered
an average $27,310 debt as they began their
professional careers in 2012, said Nicole St.
James, project coordinator of the SU/SUNY
ESF chapter of the New York Public Interest
Research Group. The Federal Reserve Bank of
New York supplied the statistic.
Alarmingly high rates of student debt in
recent years have thrown the issue into a
national light, she said, noting the cost of outstanding student loan debt in the United States
has surpassed credit card debt.
Graduating with massive loan debt can take
a toll on students’ future plans, added Michelle
Polizzi, a senior writing and rhetoric major who
has led financial aid workshops on campus as a
higher education intern through NYPIRG.
“It can really create a hold on what you want to
do with your life,” she said. “It’s unfortunate but

APPEAL
FROM PAGE 3

Bobby Davis and his stepbrother, Mike Lang,
originally filed the suit in December 2011. They
claimed Boeheim’s statements that the two were
lying and seeking a payday was false, defamatory and “epitomize(d) the epic, years-long failure by Boeheim and the university” to take steps
to make sure a man in power wouldn’t abuse
boys and teens who assisted the basketball team,
according to the lawsuit. Davis and Lang’s suit
was dismissed in May 2012 after a judge ruled

PUBLIC SCHOOLS
FROM PAGE 3

America and some of the poorest and most
diverse people in America, and they were
living right next to each other in the same
county,” he said.
The scores of poor and minority children
were averaged with that of high achievers,

“You can’t disconnect
race and ethnicity
and student outcomes
without talking about
why they’re at different
beliefs about the ways
students learn and where
those come from.”
Reba Hodge

TEACHING AND CURRICULUM GRADUATE
STUDENT IN THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Weast said, causing the higher scores to mask
other students’ poor performance.
The truth, he said, was there was a “huge
gap” related to where a student lived, as well as
wealth.
He added that the United States in general
has dealt inadequately with race.

your financial situation does kind of define you,
especially when you’re starting out on your own.”
“College is supposed to be about fulfilling
your dreams and getting the job you want,”
Polizzi, who is also a staff writer for the Daily
Orange, continued. College itself becomes an
obstacle, she said, by putting students in so
much debt.
SU’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship
Programs is working to prevent situations like
Polizzi described, said Carlos Adrian, associate
director of financial aid compliance.
The most prominent form of financial aid at
SU is grants that do not need to be paid back,
he said, with 71 percent of SU’s undergraduate
students using some sort of grant to pay their
tuition for the 2011-2012 school year.
The average amount in grant money per
student was $23,966 a year, he said.
Institutions similar to SU — four-year, private, non-profit schools that grant doctorate
degrees — had a national average of 74.7 percent students with grants in 2011-2012, with an
average $16,100 per student, according to The
National Center for Education Statistics.
The discrepancy in grant aid between the SU
average and the national average can be attributed to a variety of factors, Adrian said. For
example, not all states offer grant aid like New
York does, he said, likely boosting SU’s average.
Additionally, SU’s lofty price tag leaves room
– and necessity – for more aid.

Boeheim’s statements were opinions protected
under free speech.
Boeheim apologized after making the comments.
A defamation lawsuit is a type of civil
lawsuit where a party tries to recover damages for harm to their reputation. The party
bringing the suit has the burden of proof. In
New York state, statements that are clearly
opinion are privileged, meaning they don’t
come with any liability.
Davis and Lang’s lawyer, Mariann Meier
Wang, said in an email last week she was likely not
going to give interviews. She did not respond to an

“I learned how to deal with race and how
we really haven’t done a good job dealing with
that in America,” he said. “And I learned there
that it was hard to actually consolidate school
systems, because race and class were bigger
issues than most of us think or will ever want
to admit.”
Some students assessed the lecture as interesting and informative, while others thought
Weast didn’t clearly answer questions at the
end about race and what parents could do about
the Syracuse City School District’s dismal academic performance.
Reba Hodge, a teaching and curriculum
graduate student in the School of Education, said she liked the idea of having Weast
come to Syracuse to speak about leading for
equity, but that the lecture lacked in regards
in what it means to lead. She said she felt
that while he talked about race, he did not
address racism.
“You can’t disconnect race and ethnicity
and student outcomes without talking about
why they’re at different beliefs about the
ways students learn and where those come
from,” she said. “There’s a root cause to the
things we think and I don’t think that he
addressed them in the way that was beneficial for me and the audience.”
Yet Dagmo Yusuf, a freshman inclusive elementary and special education major, said she
found the lecture to be interesting, specifically
regarding Weast’s discussion of race.
Said Yusuf: “I didn’t really know what it
was going to be focusing on, and especially
because of my race, it’s interesting to hear

Financial aid of any sort at SU chips away at
a tuition that is higher than the average fouryear, private institution. SU charges $38,970 per
semester, according to its website, in comparison to $29,056 that CollegeBoard estimates to be
an average private school tuition.
While stressing every family and situation
is different, Adrian said the financial aid office
would never discourage a student from taking
out a loan.
Rather, he said, the office works to inform
students about their options.
One such option - the Pay As You Earn plan,
which caps student loan repayments at 10 percent of a students’ discretionary income – was
among the initiatives Obama mentioned at Henninger High School on Aug. 22.
A second proposal from Obama, which would
link the amount of federal financial aid available to a university’s students to the university’s
rated performance, would be welcomed by SU,
said Adrian.
“We’ve been doing many of the things that
the president has asked,” he said, noting SU
already strives for a high graduation rate,
and that students typically do well after
graduation. “We’re not going to have to reinvent the wheel.”
On the White House’s College Scorecard, a
website designed to make transparent college
costs in terms of tuition, graduation rates and
students’ ability to repay loans, SU has an 80.2

percent graduation rate and a 3.9 federal student
loan default rate.
The latter compares to a national average of
13.4 percent, according to the site.
Christopher Faricy, an assistant professor
of political science in the Maxwell School of
Citizenship and Public Affairs, said Obama is
the first president to propose linking a rating
system to federal grant money.
If enacted, Faricy said, the move would be
“humongous.”
“As colleges have gotten more expensive,
more students are taking out federal loans,” he
said. “The federal government can be a bigger
player in higher ‘ed’ through the money they
control through Perkins and Pell grants and
things like that.”
The first part of the proposal, creating a ranking system by compiling information already
publicly available, could be done without any
congressional support, he said, making its
manifestation highly likely in the coming years.
Actually linking the rating to federal aid
would require the approval of a Congress currently politically divided, Faricy said. But even
as Republican leaders deal with radical party
members who oppose any Democratic proposals, he said, an effort to make colleges more
affordable may not be too bold.
Said Faricy: “It would be hard to argue
against.”
nagorny@syr.edu

21 PILOTS

email inquiry Tuesday requesting an interview.
SU’s lawyer, Helen Cantwell, and
Boeheim’s lawyer, Timothy Murphy, both
did not respond to three phone calls and two
emails seeking an interview.
Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for
public affairs, said the university is declining
to comment.
Fine, former associate head men’s basketball
coach, was fired from SU on Nov. 27, 2011. He has
denied all allegations and wasn’t charged after
an almost yearlong federal investigation.

released its album “Vessels” earlier
this year, helping to spark the band’s
popularity. Twenty One Pilots was also
highlighted through an MTV Video
Music Award for the band’s song “Holding on to You,” which reached No. 10 on
Billboard magazine’s alternative chart,
according to the release.

dmsegelb@syr.edu

najisaka@syr.edu

FROM PAGE 3

@dylan_segelbaum

more information about it and know that
people are still concerned about this, and

hopefully it’s progress.”
ekmeyers@syr.edu

drew osumi | staff photographer
JERRY WEAST was the first lecturer of the School of Education’s “The Landscape of
Urban Education” series. Weast worked as a superintendent in Maryland for 35 years.

WEDNESDAY

sep t ember

PAGE 9

4, 2013

the daily orange

the sweet stuff in the middle

chase gaewski | photo editor
(FROM LEFT) JACK BROWN, ADAM GOLD AND EMANUEL WASHINGTON , members of local band Sophistafunk, return home after a weeklong tour in the United Kingdom.

BRINGIN’
THE
FUNK

T

By Erik van Rheenen
STAFF WRITER

he quirks of traveling in the United Kingdom
— driving on the left side of the road, the
archaic architecture — are old news for solo
artist Joe Driscoll. The Syracuse native and hip-hop
wordsmith adopted Bristol, England, as his home
when he moved there in 2005.
But Driscoll got a chance to relive his U.K.
adventures when Funk ‘n Waffles owner Adam
Gold and his Syracuse-based funk band, Sophistafunk, recently stepped foot on British soil.
Sophistafunk joined Driscoll at the end of August
for a weeklong U.K. tour, an event two or three
years in the making.
“It was great to watch the boys go through all the

things I went through when I first came over,”
Driscoll said. “Everyone here in the U.K. knows my
excess civic pride in Syracuse.”
The tour, which consisted of four gigs in as many
nights, was surprisingly devoid of culture shock,
said Sophistafunk emcee Jack Brown. Although he
admitted there is a tremendous list of differences
between playing shows in the United Kingdom and
touring stateside, he said the music scene doesn’t
change much from country to country.
“Once the lights are dim and the music starts, it’s
just like being at home,” he said.
Four keyboards in tow, Sophistafunk landed in
London jetlagged, but the band mates stayed up for
two days straight when they arrived to fight off the
time difference. Gold, keyboardist for the band,

Local band featuring Funk
‘n Waffles owner returns
to US, ready to tour again
said their first planned gig was cancelled due to a
gas leak, which allowed the trio time to catch up on
much-needed sleep.
From Bristol, the band snaked through the United
Kingdom, from a swanky bar in Newcastle, which
Gold compared to the inside of a fancy yacht, to a
street festival in Cardiff, Wales. Sophistafunk capped
off its European trip with an appearance at the Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire, England.
“It was like a carnival meets a festival,” Brown
said. “To actually play a gigantic festival in Europe,
it really felt like we belonged there. We got really
dialed into that music scene.”
Even though the band shed its short-lived Three
One Live name early into its career — a play on
the 3-1-5 Syracuse area code — Driscoll said U.K.
concertgoers still used Sophistafunk’s hometown to
dub its genre.
“They loved ‘em,” he said. “Some even said they
noticed some similarities between us, and were referring to the ‘Syracuse sound.’ That made my week.”
Sophistafunk didn’t turn a profit during its stint
abroad, but Gold said making money wasn’t exactly
a part of the game plan for the tour. Brown explained

Historically, the high-fashion world has been
reserved for tall, skinny female models. One
plus-sized model aims to change that stereotype by targeting the root of the issue — fashion design schools.
Emme is a supermodel, television personality, author, nationally recognized advocate for
promoting women’s self-esteem and a Syracuse
University alumna.
From July 23-Aug. 23, Emme attempted to
raise donations through Kickstarter to fund
a program at SU’s fashion design program.
The project was called “Changing the face
of fashion, one design school at a time,” and
hoped to raise $58,000 by the end of the onemonth period. However, the venture raised
only $1,938.
If fully funded, the project would “revolutionize how classic design schools teach
fashion design by addressing the exclusivity of fashion to be more inclusive” and
teaching students to design clothes for
full-figured women, according to the Kick-

FROM THE BOX OFFICE

starter page.
The Daily Orange spoke with Emme about
her idea to recreate SU’s fashion design program, and where she sees the idea going in
the future.

The Daily Orange: Where did you get the idea?
Emme: I got the idea to do this after I sat
back and thought, in order to change the way
fashion is created, I may need to go right to
the source, to design schools, starting with
my alma mater, Syracuse. I’m in the process
of creating my next fashion project and
wanted to glean outgoing talent from VPA
but knew that there were no designers for
women with a figure graduating. I inquired
at other design schools, and very few —
if none — had curriculum that included
women with a figure, thus the idea was
born. Start ‘em young!

The D.O.: Is SU the only school at which you
wanted to implement it?
Emme: I wanted to start at SU, but, without a
question, this idea can be implemented at every

Aug. 30-Sept. 5

By Ian Tecklin
STAFF WRITER

This weekend, teen heartthrob dominated,
a White House butler remained strong, a
Spanish family greatly exceeded expectations and the duo of Ethan Hawke and
Selena Gomez bombed.
That’s the best way to summarize this past
Labor Day weekend at the box office, which
did solid business on a busier-than-expected
holiday weekend.
The 3D concert film “One Direction: This
Is Us” claimed the top spot with an estimated
$15.8 million. Compared to other concert films,
the opening gross of the One Direction movie is
lower than 2008’s “Hannah Montana & Miley
Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert” ($31 million), 2009’s “Michael Jackson’s This is It” ($23
million) and 2011’s “Justin Bieber: Never Say
Never” ($29.5 million). But it is higher than the
opening weekends of 2009’s “Jonas Brothers:
The 3-D Concert Experience” ($12.5 million)
and last year’s “Katy Perry: Part of Me” ($7
million).
Considering the film only cost $10 million

to make, “One Direction: This Is Us” should
be profitable for TriStar Pictures, a subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, which is owned by
Sony. What’s especially noteworthy is that the
film is already director Morgan Spurlock’s
most profitable film ever, having surpassed the
combined grosses of films including “Super
Size Me,” “Where in the World Is Osama Bin
Laden?” “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” and “Comic-Con Episode
IV: A Fan’s Hope.”
“One Direction: This Is Us” should maintain profit in the coming weeks given the film’s
built-in audience — who have responded favorably to the film — and will continue to build its
success through word-of-mouth, since the film
received an “A” rating on CinemaScore.
The Weinstein Company’s “Lee Daniels’
The Butler” — the box office leader for the last
two weekends — collected an estimated $14.8
million, bringing its total gross to just under
$75 million. Not bad for a film that was made
for only $30 million.
The second new release in the top 10
was Lions Gate Entertainment’s foreign film,

design school in the U.S. and abroad — and
in my opinion, should be — for the sake of the
young designers looking for work after graduation and for the millions of women looking
for awesome designs that can actually fit and
flatter their figures.

The D.O.: Why are you passionate about
this program?
Emme: I am not only a vocal woman’s advocate
and social reformer for body diversity in media
and personal acceptance, but will be a client, as
well. I will gain by my actions. I want beautifully styled and well-made clothing in gorgeous
fabrics that make my figure look fantastic, just
like any other woman who likes clothes.

The D.O.: Why do you think it’s so important to
give fashion design students this opportunity?
Emme: A better, more inclusive design education when designing for women with or without
a figure, more jobs at graduation, more sales
for stores, more women made happy. It’s simple.
klross01@syr.edu
@kriskross22

“Instructions Not Included,” which drastically outperformed expectations and claimed
the fourth spot, bringing in $7.8 million.
That figure may not seem impressive, but it
is, considering the film was only released in
348 theaters. Compared to the 2,735 theaters
that screened this weekend’s top film, “One
Direction: This is Us,” the average gross per
theater of “Instructions Not Included” is
more than the average per theater for the One
Direction flick.
Given the film’s strong word-of-mouth —
“A+” on CinemaScore — and impressive pertheater average, Lions Gate will be expanding
the Spanish-language family comedy to 500
theaters this weekend.
The final new release in this weekend’s top
10 was Warner Bros. Entertainment’s “Getaway,” which bombed with only $4.5 million in
sales. Even with leads Ethan Hawke and Selena
Gomez, star power alone is not enough. If the
film is not well made, audiences simply will not
pay money to see it. This film might have a very
short run in theaters, as it has terrible reviews
and an awful “C+” rating on CinemaScore,
which might deter audiences from paying to
see it.
ijteckli@syr.edu

SOPHISTAFUNK
FROM PAGE 9

that touring pays dividends by opening doors
in markets that the band might not otherwise
break into.
Embarking overseas for a tour is a long
way from Sophistafunk’s early days, when Gold
booked most of the band’s shows solo. Being
on the road, though, is nothing new for Gold,
Brown and drummer Emanuel Washington —
Gold guesses the band plays more than 180 gigs
in a given year.
Getting burned out happens, Gold said,
though in the least drastic definition of the
phrase. He said that just sitting in the band’s
converted van driving 6,000 miles to the West
Coast takes a physical toll.
“Out of 52 weeks of the year, we probably tour
48 of them,” he said. “When you do a five- or sixweek tour like we’re starting to do nationally,
it’s more stress on the body.”
Brown, who tackles the lion’s share of lyricwriting duties, chronicled Sophistafunk’s time
on the road in a yet-to-be released extended play
album titled “Freedom Is,” which he said the
band hopes to release in November or December. He described it as a road EP that is “a
snapshot in time of our recent travels out west.”
Especially for Gold, the founder and sole
owner of Funk ‘n Waffles on Marshall Street,
constantly touring demands striking a balance
between keeping his head above water with
both ventures. He said when he’s in Syracuse,
he’s usually working on Funk ‘n Waffles – and
juggling between the two is never easy.
“I’d love to put 100 percent into either one of
them,” he said. “But I’d also hate to leave either
one of them.”
Quick on the heels of a local gig at the Westcott Street Cultural Fair on Sept. 15, Sophistafunk will hit the highway for a tour that winds
its way through Colorado, California and the
Northwest before returning back east.
Brown said the band also plans to play at
Food Network personality Guy Fieri’s birthday party for the second time in January — he
met the band while filming an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” at Funk ‘n Waffles
last August — and hopes to make it back to
England soon.
If the band does make it back to the United
Kingdom, Driscoll said he is sure the country
will welcome Sophistafunk back with open ears.
Said Driscoll: “They loved the U.K, the U.K.
loved them. Mission accomplished.”
ervanrhe@syr.edu
@TheRealVandyMan

ee Daniels’ The Butler” certainly wins five out of five stars. It has an
immense amount of momentum due to an impressive cast, including Forest Whitaker, Robin Williams and Oprah Winfrey in her first big-screen
role in 15 years.
In this incredibly influential and ambitious film, audiences watch as a man serves
in the White House during the civil rights movement, witnessing tremendous change
in America.
“The Butler” was inspired by Eugene Allen, a White House employee who worked for
several U.S. presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Allen’s story about serving presidents is not the main theme, though — the film focuses more on social rights.
The film portrays a poor African-American man named Cecil Gaines (Forest
Whitaker), who is based on Allen. In the movie, Gaines works on a cotton farm as
a young man. In 1952, he moves his way up by getting a job as a butler in the White
House to support his family. Gaines now has a front-row seat to watch the country
transform through the civil rights movement.
In the past, Hollywood has taken a different approach to addressing racism in
America, typically using a solemn tone and suppressing any real issues into a matter
of good versus bad. Daniels, however, puts an amazing twist on this by showing the
heroism in those who were strong enough to stand up for what they believed in. At the
same time, he shows the horror they faced while on their journey to freedom.
“The Butler” is a particularly heavy film that certainly hits home emotionally for
everyone watching. With many scenes showing how poorly African-Americans were
treated during the civil rights movement, viewers should be prepared to shed a tear or two.
By bringing the issues of repression and reform into family life, the film is
easier to relate to. It also helps people further understand the struggle and suffering
African-Americans had to overcome at this time in history.
A bulk of the film’s drama stems from the relationship between Gaines and his
son, Louis (David Oyelowo), who resents his father’s gracious acceptance of the African-American status in the United States. Louis has the opposite views of his father,
and becomes a Freedom Rider and frequent protester, which causes many issues
between the father-son duo. This is primarily where we see Winfrey’s character come
into play as both mother and wife.
Though a serious story, there is some comedic contrast in the movie. The cast of
presidential personalities adds a level of comic relief to be found inside the White
House: Dwight D. Eisenhower (Robin Williams) contemplates sending troops to
enforce integration in schools while he paints; vice-president Richard Nixon (John
Cusack) is found in the kitchen searching for snacks; Lyndon B. Johnson (Liev Schreiber) yells instructions at his cabinet members while sitting on the toilet;
and Ronald Reagan’s (Alan Rickman) kind yet controlling wife Nancy is
played by former activist Jane Fonda.
With all of these actors bringing different elements to their presidential characters, there never seems to be a dull moment in the White House.
The movie also shows the two
roles that African-American
servants had to play. When on the
job, Gaines is expected to act as
if the room is empty, specifically
instructed to see and hear nothing.
This poses a struggle because he has
to hear — and ignore —civil rights
issues from the inside, while still facing them so deeply on the outside.
While there is a clear difference
between appropriate and inappropriate interactions between him
and the White House staff, Gaines
demonstrates how gracefully his
character walks the line between
dignity and servitude.
It’s clear that “The Butler” deals
with issues surrounding the civil
rights era, but it lacks background
information about the Supreme
Court case, Brown v. Board of
Education, which would have been
helpful to know since it is featured
at length throughout the film.
Despite this, viewers are still able
to piece together that the issue
Director: Lee Daniels
deals with integration in schools.
With that said, who goes to the
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey,
John Cusak, Robin Williams, David Banner
movies for a history lesson anyway? It’s something this movie is
Release date: Aug. 16, 2013
not to be confused with.

“LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER”

illustration by andy casadonte | art director

baruss01@syr.edu

Rating: 5/5

12 s e p t e m b e r 4 , 2 0 1 3

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

volley ba ll

Even as freshman, Handley becomes leader
By Eric Riter

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Erica Handley has been in this situation
before.
Handley played on her high school varsity
volleyball team in eighth grade. Surrounded
by older players, she worked her way into the
starting rotation.
Now in a similar situation with Syracuse,
Handley has again earned the trust of her
coaching staff as the team’s youngest player.
Head coach Leonid Yelin called her the
“quarterback” of the team, and she is in
charge of calling the plays with hand signals,
ensuring everything goes as planned.
All as a freshman.
“I’ve been the ‘youngin’ for a while,” Handley said. “I never really think I’m the youngest person, I just try to stay at the same level
as them.”
The Lakeville, Minn., native continued
her success from eighth grade all the way
through high school. All of her hard work

culminated senior year, as she led Lakeville
North High School to an AAA state championship and a No. 4 national ranking.
But the much-anticipated transition from
high school to college is one of the toughest
times for any person. As an athlete, it’s that
much harder.
“It’s a huge adjustment coming out of high
school,” Yelin said. “Can you imagine what
is on her shoulders? She’s a kid just like
everyone else.”
Luckily for Handley, she has had a full
semester without volleyball matches to get
acclimated. She graduated high school early
to come to Syracuse. In that time, she was able
to bond with her teammates, develop relationships and transition into college life.
“It helped so much. That’s the reason I
don’t feel like I’m a freshman,” Handley said.
“This summer could have been the only time I
have met the girls before the season. It made it
easier to get along and connect on the court.”
But as the “quarterback” of the squad,

Handley is expected to do a lot for the team.
Being young and trusted with such a role
comes with quite a bit of responsibility.
Despite the accountability, Handley said
she’s not nervous about the role she is expected to play. In fact, Yelin calls her the “conductor,” as well.
Yelin isn’t the only one mentoring
Handley — junior setter Bailey Humes is
playing a large role in guiding her, too.
Yelin said Humes and Handley are learning from each other.
Handley also appreciates Bailey’s help.
“Her defense is amazing,” Handley said.
“She makes me have to pick up my defense
that much more. We help each other out, yet
we know we are competing for the same role.”
Sophomore teammate Gosia Wlaszczuk
feels Handley is handling the pressure well.
“She’s still growing up,” Wlaszczuk said.
“Her being setter, you have to be really mature.
You basically have the game on your hands.”

New Zealand native Skilton standing out for Orange
By Austin Mirmina
STAFF WRITER

Stephanie Skilton was in a league of her own.
Growing up in Auckland, New Zealand,
Skilton caught her first glimpse of soccer at
the age of 4 when she watched her 8-year-old
sister Erica play from the sidelines. Soon
Skilton began playing in the more competitive boys’ league, where she was the only girl
on the field.
“I was a bit of a tomboy myself, so I was
playing with the boys, roughing it,” Skilton
said. “Boys can play a lot faster, and they’re
a little more physical, so I tried to play with
them as long as I could. That experience
definitely helped me.”
Skilton, a freshman, has made a resounding first impression at the college level as a
starting forward for Syracuse (3-1). She isn’t
the most vocal player, but her international
soccer experience in New Zealand allowed
her to lead by example. With her combination
of size, strength and skill, Skilton possesses
all the attributes to become a standout player
for the Orange this season.
Skilton wasted little time bursting onto
the college scene and quickly proved her
potential as a goal scorer. In SU’s first four
games, the freshman forward tallied seven
points and scored two game-winning goals
against Hofstra and Colgate.
Standing at 5 feet, 9 inches, Skilton is the
second tallest player on the Orange roster.
While playing at Papakura High School in
Auckland, she was heavily recruited by the
SU coaching staff because of her strong physique, which stood out on film.
International experience also played a
vital role in the recruiting process. Throughout high school, Skilton was a member of
the New Zealand national teams, and played
in the U-17 and U-20 world cups. There, she
crafted her skills as a reliable striker.
Head coach Phil Wheddon, who also
coached U.S. players on the national stage,
said that Skilton’s transition to American
soccer was made easier because of her
time spent playing at such a high level in
New Zealand.
“When you bring an international player

in, there are differences – adjusting to culture
is one of them,” Wheddon said. “Stephanie
sees the game one step ahead, and that’s a
tribute to her coaching in New Zealand.”
Although preseason didn’t start until
early August, Skilton arrived at Syracuse on
June 29 for the Summer Start program. In
her free time, she trained with the strength
and conditioning coaches to prepare for
the upcoming season. In Wheddon’s eyes,
Skilton has adjusted well to the American
game, which features a faster, more physical
style of play.
She developed this skill by playing in the
boys’ league at a young age, relying on her
physicality to hold off defenders on the attack.
Now, Skilton will use that experience to focus
on adjusting to the rigors of college soccer.
“The American game is far more athletic compared to other countries,” Wheddon
said. “(Skilton) has made great strides in a
short amount of time. She’s proving she’s a
goal scorer.”

Skilton is a dangerous player around the
net because of her ability to finish scoring chances. On Friday against Albany, she
showed that ability by recognizing a lob pass,
soaring through the air and drilling a header
past the left side of the goalie.
“We know when the ball is at her feet or
at her head, something dangerous is going
to happen,” said assistant coach Neel Bhattacharjee, who is also the recruiting coordinator for SU. “She adds a terrific dimension
to our attack.”
As Skilton continues to develop her agility
and quickness at the college level, she will
become an invaluable part of the SU attack.
Although she is quiet on the field, her physical play resonates much louder.
“She’s not the most vocal, but as time has
gone on, she’s become more comfortable and
more confident,” Bhattacharjee said. “More
of her voice is coming out, which is cool,
because we love her accent.”

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D.O. OPEN HOUSE

spencer bodian | asst. photo editor
STEPHANIE SKILTON has been very productive for the Orange this season. A
freshman from New Zealand, Skilton’s international experience has set her apart.

Come to The Daily Orange’s
open house this Friday, Sept.
6 at 4 p.m. to learn about
what its like to work in house
and how to get involved with
writing, design, photography
and more. 744 Ostrom Ave.

CL ASSIFIEDS

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Classic Syracuse Brewery Shirts available at DESTINY USA. Developed by the
Onondaga Historical Association, these
colorful, graphically designed t-shirts feature the advertisements and logos of the
breweries of pre-prohibition Syracuse. Ten
different designs, $14.99 each. Located at
the second floor center atrium in the expansion at Destiny USA. Proceeds benefit
our free museum at 321 Montgomery St
in Downtown Syracuse. 315-428-1864.
cnyhistory.org

Communications Coordinator/Admin Assistant. New York Conference, United Church
of Christ with DeWitt office is seeking to fill a 25
hour/week position with emphasis on web page
maintenance, electronic communications utilizing
Constant Contact, and data base maintenance.
Assists Chief Executive Officer with scheduling
and answering phone inquiries. Coordinates
annual gathering of 300 attendees. We are a
theologically liberal and socially progressive
Christian denomination committed to peace,
justice, and diversity. Pay will be commensurate
with experience. Benefits, including health insurance included. Please send resume to Mr. David
Losito at New York UCC, 5575 Thompson Road,
DeWitt, NY 13214 or email to office@uccny.org
no later than September 13.

SUBLETS
Close to Campus, sublet. One of three bedrooms
in upstairs flat. Two roomates, both female. Five
minute walk to campus, 10 minute walk to Westcott street. Move in Date anytime after December ‘13 Finals. Please contact me if genuinely
interested. kllittle@syr.edu

on special teams and received first-team AllAmerican honors from the Football Writers
Association of America.
Jason Kimball, the athletic director at
St. Pius X High School in Houston, watched
Mark develop as a player there and at times
had trouble following the speedster around
the field.
“He’s the fastest player I’ve ever seen in pads,
and I’ve coached for 15 years,” Kimball said.
“There may be faster athletes on the track but as
far as the football field goes, there’s no one that
can touch his speed.”
It’s that very speed that left the Orange
looking helpless in the Dome last season.
Despite Mark’s consistent success out of the
backfield, SU will always peg him as an explo-

HUNT

F ROM PAGE 16

there. I’ve just got to keep waiting.”
For now Hunt is the backup. Allen, who
transferred from Oklahoma April 12, started for
SU in its season-opening 23-17 loss to Penn State
on Saturday, completing just 16-of-37 passes for
189 yards and two interceptions. Hunt observed
from the sidelines, hat and headset on for all
four quarters as he watched a stagnant Orange
offense stumble.
A fitting culmination for likely the roughest stretch of Hunt’s on-field career — which
started when Shafer told him the coaches picked
Allen and dragged on as Hunt had to keep up the
façade that the battle was ongoing.
“I don’t like being fake, but for coach I told

sports@ da ilyor a nge.com

sive athlete that does his damage in spurts.
After his two electric punt returns in the
first half of last season’s game, Mark was

“He’s the fastest player
I’ve ever seen in pads, and
I’ve coached for 15 years.”
Jason Kimball

ST. PIUS X (TEX AS) HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

relatively quiet until NU took possession with
10:23 left in the third quarter. After three
straight completions by quarterback Kain Colter, the Wildcats centered their drive around
their biggest weapon.
Mark’s personal conquest started at the Syracuse 47-yard line and ended at the one. In four
consecutive plays he rushed for 46 total yards,
including a 32-yard gain through the teeth of

him I’d keep it on the hush,” Hunt said. “It
was tough because you kept having to say
you’re in the race when you already know
that you’re not.”
And tougher yet may have been warming
up at MetLife Stadium, 30 miles from his hometown of Rosedale, N.Y. The small contingent of
friends and family that came to watch him play
were limited to those pre-game drills.
“Terrel is a tough kid. He’s a really tough
kid,” center Macky MacPherson said. “I know a
lot of people who would break in a situation like
he’s in. He worked his butt off in the spring, and
he’s still working his butt off.
“He’s going to get his chance someday, and I
can’t tell you when because I don’t even know,
but when that day comes I know he’ll do great
for himself.”
Just four months ago, Hunt was the front-

the Orange’s defense. On the next play, Colter
snuck into the end zone to give the Wildcats a
35-13 lead.
His play-making ability makes moonlighting with the special teams unit seem like
an unnecessary risk. But any possibility of
injuries is smothered by the opportunity to put
the ball in Mark’s hands.
“Venric dabbles in special teams because
he is a home run threat every time he gets the
ball,” Kimball said. “The main objection is, and
should be, to get him the ball in space.”
But now that he has sustained a leg injury,
Northwestern is acting cautiously. In the
Wildcats 44-30 win over California last Saturday, Mark wasn’t used on special teams
and played sparingly at running back in the
fourth quarter.
He finished the game with 29 yards on 11
rushes, giving way to Green to shine in his
absence. Green rushed for 129 yards on 16

carries and two touchdowns. With Mark dayto-day, as well as Colter uncertain with a concussion, NU’s offense won’t know its identity
until kickoff Saturday evening.
“We both have a little something to bring
to the table, and I think we really complement
each other,” Green said. “But right now we are
rotating everyone in and are going in with a
good game plan.”
Even if Green and the rest of the revolving
components of the Wildcats offense are comfortable with the unknown, they would all like
to see Mark in his usual, versatile role.
After all, it was his timely speed that led the
Wildcats over the Orange a season ago.
“We’re going to see where he is throughout
the course of the week,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s a
dynamic playmaker, and not to have him at full
speed definitely hurts.”

runner for the Orange’s starting quarterback
job. He dominated the first-team reps, earning
the support of MacPherson and running back
Jerome Smith, who lived across from Hunt at

camp marked the start of the open competition
as the two battled back and forth. One day Hunt
would be better, the next Allen.
On Days 8 and 9, though, Allen separated
himself during scrimmages in Fort Drum, N.Y.
And soon after, Shafer announced SU had a
“direction” it was going. That would prove to
be Allen.
“It wasn’t so much that Terrel wasn’t emerging,” Shafer said, “it was just I felt like Drew had
a little bit better handle on things at that point
in time.”
Hunt said it felt like the competition was
neck-and-neck when the decision was made.
When Shafer told him the choice was based on
experience more than anything else, initially,
he was frustrated.
But sitting down with Shafer, Lester, Allen
and senior quarterback Charley Loeb helped
settle the situation, Lester said. Allen and Loeb
were career backups until this season, with
far more game time spent on the sidelines than
Hunt.
While advancing as the second-string
quarterback was tough for Hunt, Shafer was
impressed with the way he regrouped.
Speaking at the last week of training camp,
Shafer said he saw shades of himself in Hunt.
Two and a half decades ago, he was in the same
position.
Now he looks back on his garbage-speckled
outburst fondly. It was a learning experience.
Maybe Hunt will experience the same emotional growth someday, too.
“He’s never hung his head, he’s never pouted,” Shafer said, “and all I’ve told him is that
he’s one play away from getting on that field.”

“I don’t like being fake,
but for coach I told him
I’d keep it on the hush.
It was tough because
you kept having to
say you’re in the race
when you already know
that you’re not.”
Terrel Hunt

SYRACUSE QUARTERBACK

University Village.
Hunt would walk across the hall every night
with questions, always wanting to learn more,
Smith said. Even when the rumors Hunt had
heard about Allen became reality, he was still
certain it was his job to lose.
“After I started getting the first-team reps
and I started working with the first team every
day, that’s when I realized this was my team,”
Hunt said. “Jerome and some other guys would
tell me, ‘This is your team, take over now. This
is when you separate yourself.’”
But once Allen showed up to training camp,
it quickly became apparent that this was not
Hunt’s team. He and Allen would be in even
competition for the spot.
Quarterbacks coach Tim Lester said Day 5 of

SHAFER
F ROM PAGE 16

can be solved simply with repetitions.
“We just have to keep continuing to work on
our operation mode,” Shafer said. “At times we
got into a good flow, but other times it wasn’t
as clean as we need it to be, so that will be an
emphasis as we move forward.”
Syracuse healthy coming out of loss to Penn
State
Shafer had no new injuries to report in his

jcdoug01@syr.edu
@dougherty_ jesse

sebail01@syr.edu
@Stephen_Bailey1

weekly teleconference on Tuesday.
Shafer said offensive lineman Kyle Knapp
is improving from an injury. He was one of 31
Orange players not on the travel roster for SU’s
23-17 loss to Penn State on Saturday. In training camp, Knapp was sidelined for at least two
weeks with a head injury.
The only player who appeared to get dinged
up against the Nittany Lions was linebacker
Dyshawn Davis, but he did return to the game
almost immediately after the play.
dbwilson@syr.edu, @dbwilson2
sebail01@syr.edu, @stephen_bailey1

Take even a slight glance at the Syracuse roster
and one thing is immediately noticeable: no
seniors. Instead, SU has relied on, and will rely
on, a bevy of underclassmen in its first year in
the tough Atlantic Coast Conference.
Four freshmen have started in each of No.
17 Syracuse’s (2-0-0) two games this season,
including Alex Halis, a shifty forward from
Brampton, Ontario. The freshman has not
only made an impression by scoring goals
and dishing out assists, but he’s also brought
excitement with an array of nifty moves and
creative touches.
“He’s a quality player,” SU head coach Ian
McIntyre said. “He’s an exciting player. He’s a
player that can make things happen and he can
get people off their seats.”
During Monday night’s home opener against
Hartwick, Halis promptly introduced himself to
the Colvin Street Elite, the group of student fans
that sits near the net on East Colvin Street. The
forward sped by defenders, put on the breaks
and scanned the field. He also mixed in a few
backward heel passes.
Halis even made Hartwick senior midfielder
Tim Crawford fall. The freshman Halis had pos-

The Orange keeps on rolling. After a 3-0
preseason and a 2-0 start to the regular
season, the Orange travels to Blacksburg, Va., for its first-ever Atlantic Coast
Conference game. With stellar play from
the defense, goalkeeper Alex Bono has
picked up two shutouts. Five different
players have scored goals for the Orange.

8

5

4
7 6 8
2 9 4
8
9

7

6

3

session just feet from the near sideline. His head
and eyes went left, and so did Crawford. Halis’
body and the ball went right. The crowd “oohed”
and “aahed.”
As Halis goes, McIntyre said, so does Syracuse.
“That’s a good feeling,” Halis said. “It gives
you confidence. But to me I feel like if everyone
plays good, then it’s better for us. I don’t think it
should be one player.”
In both of SU’s games, Halis played a role
in the team’s first goal. In SU’s season opener
against Colgate – Halis’ collegiate debut – he
headed in a ball from Jordan Murrell to give
the Orange a 1-0 lead. Against Hartwick, Halis
picked up an assist on Grant Chong’s goal early
in the second half.
McIntyre called Halis “cutting edge,” comparing him to Nick Perea, Stefanos Stamoulacatos and Emil Ekblom. McIntyre recruits the
best players he can, but also the ones that fit his
possession style that focuses on precision passing, ball control and creativity.
Halis fits the mold. At 5 feet 9 inches tall,
Halis can use his size to elude bigger defenders
and his speed to get around them.
In Canada, Halis led the St. Edmund Campion Bears to two straight OFSAA championships
and an undefeated 33-0-1 season in 2012. He is
also a member of the Canadian Youth National
Program and represented Canada at the 2011
U-17 World Cup.
“We’ve been playing together since we were
just little kids,” said Chris Nanco, who played
with Halis with St. Edmund Campion and FC
Sigma. “We’ve always been together. We’ve created a bond since a young age and it’s a good
thing to continue our careers together.”
The connection between the two starters is
one reason why the Orange has collected favorable results so far this season.
In order to keep his personal success rolling, Halis said he has to stay positive and
work hard.
“He has that little bit of something different,”
McIntyre said. “And it won’t always come off.
That’s the nature of when you express yourself
and when you try some things. But when it does
come off, he’s an exciting player to watch.”
jmhyber@syr.edu

ziniu chen | staff photographer
TERREL HUNT lost out on the starting quarterback job to Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen. Hunt, who
manned the first team for part of training camp, will have two seasons of eligibility left after this season.

Out of the Hunt
Sophomore QB regroups after losing starting job
By Stephen Bailey

S

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

cott Shafer brought Terrel
Hunt into his office and sat
him down. Decision day had
come and Hunt wasn’t picked as Syracuse’s starting quarterback.
Hunt and Shafer talked through
tears, Hunt said, as they discussed the
role he would inherit as a backup.

Twenty-six years earlier Shafer
was on the other side of that table. The
balding, fiery first-year head coach
was then an even fierier sophomore
quarterback for Division-III BaldwinWallace (Ohio) University. When his
head coach Bob Packard told Shafer
he wouldn’t start, Shafer hurled a
trash can across the room.
That’s the story Shafer told Hunt,

the redshirt sophomore, before
informing him that he lost out to
senior transfer Drew Allen for the
Orange’s starting job.
“It was a real emotional thing,”
Hunt said. “I worked really hard to
come up short, but coach told me
he’s got my back and as long as I keep
doing what I’ve got to do, I’ll get out

It’s a game that Northwestern
smiles upon, but doesn’t necessarily
like to remember.
The Wildcats opened their 201213 season with a visit to the Carrier
Dome to face the Orange. After 60
minutes of slapdash, back-and-forth
football, NU edged Syracuse 42-41
thanks in large part to running
back Venric Mark.
Mark finished the game with 84
yards on 14 carries, but made his
biggest contributions in the return
game. He returned two punts for
a total of 134 yards, including an
82-yard return for a touchdown
in the first quarter and a 52-yard
return in the second that led to
another Northwestern touchdown.
“We got lucky last year,” NU head
coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “I don’t
know how we won, but we found a
way. We’re going to have to play better if we want to win again.”
Yet Mark, a key factor in last season’s dramatic act, could watch the
next installment from the sidelines.
When Syracuse (0-1) visits No. 19
Northwestern (1-0) at Ryan Field in
Evanston, Ill., on Saturday at 6 p.m.,

the matchup could have a different
complexion from that of last September. Last season, SU’s inability to
limit big plays was accentuated by
Mark’s earth-shattering speed. But
with the running back day-to-day
with a leg injury, there is no certainty that he’ll have an opportunity to
thrash the Orange again.
“He’s really fast,” said sophomore running back Treyvon Green.
“But he’s not all about speed. He has
great vision as well.”
Five feet, 8 inches, 175 pounds.
For a football player, at any position, it’s not an ideal size. Yet Mark
has turned his seemingly disadvantaging size into one of his greatest
strengths. His small frame permits
a rare shiftiness that helps him hit
holes and bounce to the outside with
noticeable ease.
Last season as a junior, Mark
rushed for 12 touchdowns and
1,366 yards, an average of 105.1
yards per game. He became just
the 15th player in Northwestern
history to record a 1,000-yard season, and the first since Tyrell Sutton did so in 2006.
He was also wildly successful

SEE NORTHWESTERN PAGE 14

SEE HUNT PAGE 14

SU tries to clean up communication issues
By Stephen Bailey
and David Wilson
THE DAILY ORANGE

With 61,202 fans packed into
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday, the majority rooting for Penn State, it caused
some communication breakdowns
in Scott Shafer’s first game as Syracuse’s head coach.
The start to his tenure ended with
a 23-17 loss in New York’s College
Classic, a contest that was considered

a home game for the Orange, but had a
road feel with a sea of blue and white
in the bleachers.
“It’s one of those deals where
we have to continue to work crowd
noise,” Shafer said on his Tuesday
teleconference. “I’m sure Northwestern’s fans will be excited and loud, so
we’re preparing for that.”
SU travels to Evanston, Ill., on
Saturday to face the Wildcats at 6 p.m.
Shafer said he wasn’t nervous at
all before his first game as a head

“It kind of felt like we were just
experimenting out there.”
Ashton Broyld
SYRACUSE H-BACK ON HIS TEAM’S
USE OF THE PISTOL OFFENSE

coach, but there were still the usual
hiccups to be expected from a firstyear head coach. There was a boneheaded penalty or two and chaos on
the field — Shafer worked exclusively
up in the box as a coordinator in past
seasons — was a bit of a shock for the
new head coach.
These, though, are the kinks that
can be fixed in the coming weeks.
Syracuse is inexperienced all over
the field, so these are the things that

AT
A GLANCE
Stephanie Skilton

has emerged as one
of Syracuse’s most
prolific players to
start the season.
See page 12

SEE SHAFER PAGE 14

sam maller | asst. photo editor
(LEFT) VENRIC MARK was too much for Syracuse to handle last season, but his status for Saturday remains uncertain due to a leg injury.

TWITTERSPHERE
@PSchragsBreaking:

Sources tell me E.J.
Manuel is “healthy and
ready to go for Week 1,”
and Doug Marrone is
expected to name Week 1
starter tomorrow.

10

plays

31
plays

BY THE
NUMBERS
Running back Jerome

Smith played less than
a quarter of Syracuse’s
total offensive snaps in
the second half.